So, somehow we are coming up on The Peanut's 1st birthday on thursday. This has been the longest and shortest year of my life, for sure. I have been thinking a whole bunch about this time last year. In all of my thinking, I have decided that we are going to celebrate Peanut's birthday as a 3-day event, since I went into labor at 4:30 am on May 1st last year and he wasn't born until 1:34 am May 3rd. I was in labor with him for 3 days, so it is only fair he gets a 3-day birthday, right? I knew you would understand my thinking.
Here I am, in labor, 1 year ago today:
Remember this picture? I figured this was all we would get at this point since there was no baby to take a picture of this time last year....
Well, I figured showing you how to make a smile on your Basil would be the perfect topic for Day 1 of Presley's B-day week. So here we go!
Wanna a know a little secret? Mr Danger embroiders all of the faces on my samples! I am kinda sucky at it (at least I think I am), and he is great at it, so he is the face maker in the family. I do know HOW to do it though, so I am going to go ahead and explain....
So, the great part of embroiodering on knitting is the sts and columns act as a grid, which makes it almost like cross stitch. Makes sense, right? Ok, now that you understand that, to make a mouth first, I mark the center of where I want the mouth to be: (See another tapestry needle for marking? I buy these things in bulk....)
Then I count out however many sts I want out on each side to mark the far sides of the mouth. In this case, it is 5 sts over on each side:
For the embroidery iteself I like to use a black yarn in a yarn weight or 2 heavier than what my project is. So, in this case my dino is knit in sport, so I used a worsted weight black yarn for the embroidery. You don't have to do this, it is just my preference. Really any scrap yarn will work.
Using black yarn and a tapestry needle, I start my end a ways away from where my mouth will be and come out in the side marker for my mouth. Coming at it from a ways away means I can hide my end when I am done:
I leave a short tail of yarn from my starting spot I will trim up when I am done:
I made little like dimples, or cheeky bits on my other Basils, so I will on this one too. You make it with a like "V" on the ends of the smile. So, from my starting spot, I put my needle 2 sts "up," the back through my start spot:
See the little line it created? I do the same thing angled up from the start spot: (I know, my explanations are sort a crappy. Just look at the pictures....)
See, cheeky bit:
Ok, on to the mouth itself. I skipped over a stitch, then ran it under 2 stitches:
See how it made one stitch of the mouth and then my working yarn is coming out 2 stitches over?
I back stitched over those 2 stitches, and went under 2 more stitches:
See how that is starting to make a smile?
I continue this across the face, back over 2 and under 2 stitches with each go, until I come to the other side marker:
With my final back stitch I don't go under anymore stitches, I just come out in the final marker spot. Then I go up 2 stitches, just like on my first cheeky bit:
Angle down, and go up 2 more stitches:
Then I put my needle through right by where I finished stitching, and pull it through to the other side where my starting yarn is, to hide my tail:
(This is like I showed you yesterday, just trim those tails flush with your fabric) See, happy smile!
My first cheeky bit was a little lame though....this is why Mr Danger does my faces, since at this point I would go snip this smile out and start again. And then I would probably do it a third time. And maybe even a 4th and 5th time until I was completely happy. He does it right the first time, every time.
Yeah! Finsihed Basil! Didn't the yarn choice come out very dinosaur-y?
I had to show you this side too, since I love how the yarn pooled. The 2 colors where so similar, the green blended into the stripes.
And such a happy smile!
How are you Basils turning out?
Oh, thank you for the embroidery tutorial! I am rubbish at it, which is why I like making monsters with felt teeth. ;-) Your Basil looks extremely pleased with himself!
Posted by: Kate | May 01, 2012 at 01:58 PM
What a great blog post! The whole KAL has been super, but I am so grateful for this tutorial. All of my toy patterns end with some version of "Embroider face" in the directions and that's it. This has resulted in some incredibly wonky stuffed animal expressions. Can't wait to try your tips on my own dino soon. I just may have to perform "face lifts" on his predecessors, too. Thank you!!
Posted by: Sara | May 01, 2012 at 03:47 PM
You may find that you remember your 3 days of labor every year at this time. I had 30 hours of induced labor with my son and I still notice the time I started and periodically think during about how long it was during those two days and he just turned 13 this year. Enjoy your boy when he is little because it really does go fast. As hard as it is now at least he doesn't argue with you. :)
Posted by: Trina | May 02, 2012 at 08:08 AM
Thanks so much for the detailed KAL. I'm knitting my first monster, Bea, and this will be a great reference when I stuff and put the finishing touches on her.
Posted by: Anne G | May 03, 2012 at 10:02 AM
I haven't been KALing, but have been reading along. This is wonderful. I've made a few monsters now, and learn with each one - this tutorial gives me so much more confidence for my next project!
Posted by: Jennifer | May 04, 2012 at 06:43 AM
Do you have any tips for sewing on yarn eyes instead of the plastic ones? I've made a few gifts for new babies, but they all look angry because my eyes are bad. Help me make happy toys!
Posted by: MicheleB | May 05, 2012 at 07:34 PM
Hey MicheleB-
You are going to want to use the "grid" of the knit, as I mentioned above to make a circle for the eye. Using these same techniques above, I generally start across about 2 sts, move out to across 4 sts by the middle, then back to 2 by the end. Make sense?
Posted by: Rebecca Danger | May 05, 2012 at 07:59 PM
Thanks. I'll have to give it a try. I have a soft green turtle who likes like he's in need of an attitude adjustment.
Posted by: MicheleB | May 06, 2012 at 10:40 AM
I'm still trying to learn to knit on DPNs. It really is like trying to arm wrestle an octopus. Maybe it's because I'm using size 2 DPNs. But I have this really pretty yarn. It's the Felici Fingering Self Striping Sock Yarn in Rainbow from KnitPicks. Wish me luck!
Posted by: Tara | May 18, 2012 at 06:52 AM